Calming Anxiety | Guided Meditation, Sleep Hypnosis & Panic Attack Relief

Charlotte's Ladies by L.M. Montgomery — A Heart-Warming Bedtime Story for Sleep & Insomnia | Books at Bedtime

 

Drift off to sleep with Charlotte's Ladies by L.M. Montgomery, a sweet and heart-warming story of an orphan girl, two lonely ladies and a very handsome cat, from the author of Anne of Green Gables, read aloud by Martin Hewlett on Books at Bedtime, the sleep story series from Calming Anxiety.

 

Charlotte Turner has mouse-coloured hair, any number of freckles, and a home in an orphan asylum, all brick walls, prim walks and doses of sulphur and molasses. But one spring day, searching for the little yellow daffodils that grow in the north-west corner, she discovers a gap in the old asylum fence where a board has fallen away. Through it she glimpses a sunny woodland road, and along it walks a pretty lady with golden hair and lovely blue eyes that ought to be laughing, but are very sad.

 

That same evening Charlotte finds a second gap, looking into the most beautiful garden she has ever seen, full of tulips, lilacs and blossoming trees. There a tall, jolly lady with black eyes tends her flowers, followed everywhere by a big, furry and very handsome cat. Day after day, Charlotte slips away to her two secret gaps, and slowly makes friends with both of her ladies. Neither knows about the other, and each of them is lonelier than she lets on.

 

This classic bedtime story for adults is perfect for winding down, easing insomnia and letting a busy mind settle into deep, restful sleep. Montgomery's gentle springtime gardens, warm humour, a happy ending and Martin's calm, unhurried narration make it an ideal sleep audiobook for anyone who finds it hard to switch off at night.

 

If you enjoy L.M. Montgomery, you'll find more of her short stories on Books at Bedtime, including The Little Black Doll, The Gossip of Valley View, The Fillmore Elderberries, Jessamine and A Redeeming Sacrifice, all from the same collection.

 

Charlotte's Ladies was first published in 1911 and is collected in Lucy Maud Montgomery Short Stories, 1909 to 1922. L.M. Montgomery (1874–1942) and this story are in the public domain.

 

Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett.

 

📱 Listen to Books at Bedtime in the Anchored app, offline and with the screen off, so you can fall asleep without a bright phone in your hand:

 

iPhone: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669

 

Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored

 

🧡 For Martin's calming tips, visit: https://calminganxiety.org/calm

 

Sleep well, my friend. And in everything, be kind.

 

 

Rate & Review: Leave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to help us reach more listeners!

 

YouTube: Watch all episodes at https://www.youtube.com/c/calminganxiety?sub_confirmation=1

 

Social Media Support: For younger listeners struggling with social media stress, visit https://www.icanhelp.net/

 

Music: All music by Chris Collins at Indie Music Box

Ready for More Calm?Thank you for listening to the Calming Anxiety Podcast, featuring guided meditation, mindfulness, and sleep hypnosis sessions with Martin Hewlett. Our mission is to provide you with proven tools for anxiety relief, stress reduction, and a path toward deep relaxation. Use this episode anytime you need to calm your mind and feel more at ease.

Waking Up With Anxiety? — Morning Affirmations for Anxiety | 10-Minute Guided Meditation with 4-2-6 Breathing

 

Waking up with anxiety? Your eyes open, and before your feet have even touched the floor your mind is already out ahead of you, running through the day, the messages you haven't answered, the things that might go wrong. This 10-minute guided meditation with morning affirmations for anxiety is a gentle reminder that the day hasn't happened yet. You don't need to solve everything before breakfast, or rehearse every possible problem before your first cup of tea.

 

Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist Martin Hewlett. Keep these morning affirmations close in Martin's Anchored app, on iPhone:
 https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669 and Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored. And something new: Martin is building Thole, a whole health and wellness app for fitness and diet that even brings in Calming Anxiety. He's looking for free beta testers on iPhone.

Join the Thole beta (iOS only): https://testflight.apple.com/join/aUKB8W7N

 

Together we begin with Martin's favourite breathing pattern, the gentle 4-2-6 breath: in through the nose for four, a comfy pause for two, and out through the mouth for six. Then we let the morning light slowly fill the room, like someone gently turning up a dimmer switch, and remember that a thought is not a prediction. You'll receive five positive morning affirmations to carry through your day, and three practical daily caring tips for a calmer morning routine.

 

⏱️ Time Chapters

* 00:00 – Waking up with anxiety?

* 00:50 – Welcome from Martin

* 01:02 – Something new: Thole beta testers wanted

* 01:35 – Settling in for the morning

* 02:05 – Martin's favourite: the 4-2-6 breath

* 03:44 – Morning light, like a dimmer switch

* 04:44 – A thought is not a prediction

* 05:09 – Introducing today's morning affirmations

* 05:45 – Today's morning affirmations

* 06:37 – You are worthy

* 06:52 – Affirmations once more, with kindness

* 07:58 – Keeping one affirmation close

* 08:17 – Your 3 daily caring tips

* 09:30 – Gently coming back

* 09:50 – You only have to meet the next moment

* 10:00 – Anchored, Anchored Premium and Thole

* 10:47 – Until tomorrow, be kind

 

🌿 Today's Morning Affirmations

You don't have to believe every word completely. Just listen, and let one or two become a little more familiar:

* I can meet this day one moment at a time.

* I do not need to rehearse the worst to be ready.

* I can allow my body to settle at its own pace.

* Calm is something I can return to again and again.

* Today does not have to be perfect to be good.

 

💡 3 Daily Caring Tips

1. Three breaths before your phone: Before the messages, the headlines and the demands of the day, take three comfortable slow breaths. Give yourself a moment that belongs entirely to you.

2. Choose one morning affirmation: Perhaps it's "I don't need to rehearse the worst to be ready." Take it while the kettle boils or while you're brushing your teeth. Let it become part of your morning routine.

3. Focus on the next small thing: When anxiety tries to drag you through the entire day before it has even begun, gently ask yourself, "What's the next small thing I need to do?" Not everything, just the next thing.

 

📱 Take Calming Anxiety With You Anywhere

You don't have to win the whole day before you've even started it. You only have to meet the next moment. If these morning affirmations helped, save this episode and come back to it tomorrow morning, or keep them with you in the Anchored app:

iPhone: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669

Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored

 

Anchored Premium is 5.99 a month: no adverts, full access to Books at Bedtime, and you can save your favourite night light or box breathing session. It supports everything Martin creates. Thank you.

 

🌱 Try Thole, Martin's new health and wellness app, and tell him what you think. Free beta for iPhone only: https://testflight.apple.com/join/aUKB8W7N

 

"I don't market things. I create them so we can all have a better life." If this helped, please share it with someone who wakes up anxious, and leave a 30-second rating or review on Apple Podcasts.

 

Have a lovely day, my friend, truly. And in everything, it's always simple, be kind.

 

 

Rate & Review: Leave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to help us reach more listeners!

 

YouTube: Watch all episodes at https://www.youtube.com/c/calminganxiety?sub_confirmation=1

 

Social Media Support: For younger listeners struggling with social media stress, visit https://www.icanhelp.net/

 

Music: All music by Chris Collins at Indie Music Box

Ready for More Calm?Thank you for listening to the Calming Anxiety Podcast, featuring guided meditation, mindfulness, and sleep hypnosis sessions with Martin Hewlett. Our mission is to provide you with proven tools for anxiety relief, stress reduction, and a path toward deep relaxation. Use this episode anytime you need to calm your mind and feel more at ease.

The Little Black Doll by L.M. Montgomery — A Tender Bedtime Story for Sleep & Insomnia | Books at Bedtime

 

Drift off to sleep with The Little Black Doll by L.M. Montgomery, a tender, bittersweet tale of love, sacrifice and an unexpected gift from the author of Anne of Green Gables, read aloud by Martin Hewlett on Books at Bedtime, the sleep story series from Calming Anxiety.

 

Little Joyce is an orphan, shy, thin and awkward, living with her stately Grandmother Marshall, who has never found much to love in a granddaughter who doesn't do her credit. Pretty, golden-haired cousin Chrissy is taken everywhere. Little Joyce is left at home. In all the world, only two things love her back: Denise, the gentle French girl who lies ill in the little kitchen chamber, and Joyce's most treasured possession, a small doll carved from polished black wood, found in an Egyptian tomb and said to be four thousand years old.

 

The whole household is buzzing about the great French-Canadian prima donna, Madame Lauren, who is to sing at the Harbour Light Hotel. Denise longs with all her heart to hear her sing the old French songs her mother sang to her, just one little song. So, while the family is out, Little Joyce slips away down the shore road, carrying her precious black doll in a box and a brave plan in her heart.

 

This classic bedtime story for adults is perfect for winding down, easing insomnia and letting a busy mind settle into deep, restful sleep. Montgomery's gentle seaside setting, a deeply moving and heart-warming ending, and Martin's calm, unhurried narration make it an ideal sleep audiobook for anyone who finds it hard to switch off at night.

 

If you enjoy L.M. Montgomery, you'll find more of her short stories on Books at Bedtime, including The Gossip of Valley View, The Fillmore Elderberries, Jessamine, A Redeeming Sacrifice and Uncle Richard's New Year's Dinner, all from the same collection.

 

The Little Black Doll was first published in 1909 and is collected in Lucy Maud Montgomery Short Stories, 1909 to 1922. L.M. Montgomery (1874–1942) and this story are in the public domain.

 

Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett.

 

📱 Listen to Books at Bedtime in the Anchored app, offline and with the screen off, so you can fall asleep without a bright phone in your hand:

 

iPhone: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669

 

Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored

 

🧡 For Martin's calming tips, visit: https://calminganxiety.org/calm

 

Sleep well, my friend. And in everything, be kind.

 

 

Rate & Review: Leave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to help us reach more listeners!

 

YouTube: Watch all episodes at https://www.youtube.com/c/calminganxiety?sub_confirmation=1

 

Social Media Support: For younger listeners struggling with social media stress, visit https://www.icanhelp.net/

 

Music: All music by Chris Collins at Indie Music Box

Ready for More Calm?Thank you for listening to the Calming Anxiety Podcast, featuring guided meditation, mindfulness, and sleep hypnosis sessions with Martin Hewlett. Our mission is to provide you with proven tools for anxiety relief, stress reduction, and a path toward deep relaxation. Use this episode anytime you need to calm your mind and feel more at ease.

Take a quiet 10 minutes to reset, let go of fixing your day, and put yourself somewhere safe. In this episode of Calming Anxiety, former paramedic and clinical hypnotherapist Martin guides you through a slow, calming 10-minute mindful breathing exercise designed to soothe an overactive nervous system and quiet a racing mind.

Using the power of extended exhales (inhale for 4, hold, exhale for 6), this practice directly targets the vagus nerve to signal safety to your body. Whether you're dealing with panic, 3 AM worry, or just need a moment of peace, there is nothing here to solve—only your breath and room to exist.

⏱️ Time Chapters
00:00 – Welcome & Settling In (There is Nothing to Fix)
00:35 – Introduction from Martin (Clinical Hypnotherapist & Paramedic)
01:17 – Preparing Your Body & Lowering the Shoulders
01:44 – The Science of the Extended Exhale & Vagus Nerve
02:23 – Guided 4-1-6 Breathing Exercise Begins
03:42 – Letting the Rhythm Take Over & Grounding in the Room
04:38 – Gentle Affirmations & Hypnotic Suggestions (First Pass)
06:23 – Affirmations for Overhearing & Drift (Second Pass)
07:44 – 3 Daily Caring Tips for a Happier Life
09:01 – Gently Waking Up & Returning to Your Day
09:19 – Final Thoughts & Call to Action
🌿 Today's Gentle AffirmationsRepeat these silently, or simply let them drift past without holding on:
"My breath is slow and my body is following it down."
"I am at peace with the world around me, exactly as it is today."
"There is nothing I must solve in these ten minutes."
"My shoulders are lower than they were; my jaw is looser than it was."
"The world can carry on without my worrying about it."
"I am allowed to rest before I have earned it."
"The calm is mine. I made it with my own breath."
💡 3 Daily Caring Tips
One Breath at the Threshold: Every time you pass through a doorway today (front door, office, car), take one slow exhale. Treat doors as natural punctuation marks in your day rather than rushing through them.
Leave One Thing Unfinished: Intentionally leave a small task incomplete today—a dish in the sink, an email draft, or a quick tidy-up. Prove to your brain that the world holds together even when you stop.
Ten Seconds of Sky: Step outside or look out a window and look up at the sky for 10 seconds. It costs nothing and is the fastest way to reconnect with the world around you.
📱 Take Calming Anxiety With You AnywhereIf today’s 10 minutes helped bring peace to your day, take your practice deeper with Anchored. Access over 3,000 searchable, downloadable sessions—perfect for when you're out of signal and need a quiet space to land.👉 Download Anchored on the iOS App Store Today (Replace with your direct iOS App Store link)If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a quick review on Apple Podcasts and share it with someone who could use a calmer day. Until tomorrow, in everything... be kind.

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Rate & Review: Leave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to help us reach more listeners!

YouTube: Watch all episodes at https://www.youtube.com/c/calminganxiety?sub_confirmation=1

 Social Media Support: For younger listeners struggling with social media stress, visit https://www.icanhelp.net/

Backing Music: Chris Collins

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Affiliate links to the gear I use the items that give me a more tranquil life.

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Items I use for a more relaxed way of life :)
Organic Pure Hemp CBD Capsules - https://amzn.to/3

Ready for More Calm?Thank you for listening to the Calming Anxiety Podcast, featuring guided meditation, mindfulness, and sleep hypnosis sessions with Martin Hewlett. Our mission is to provide you with proven tools for anxiety relief, stress reduction, and a path toward deep relaxation. Use this episode anytime you need to calm your mind and feel more at ease.

The Gossip of Valley View by L.M. Montgomery — A Funny, Feel-Good Bedtime Story for Sleep & Insomnia | Books at Bedtime

 

Drift off to sleep with The Gossip of Valley View by L.M. Montgomery, a gently funny and heart-warming tale of small-town rumour and late-blooming romance from the author of Anne of Green Gables, read aloud by Martin Hewlett on Books at Bedtime, the sleep story series from Calming Anxiety.

 

It's the first of April, and fourteen-year-old Julius Barrett hasn't managed to fool a single soul all day. So when solemn, truthful Dan Chester rides by on his grey mare, Julius can't resist one last April Fool. He whispers some astonishing news: Adelia Williams and Young Thomas Everett are to be married in June. They are the very last two people in Valley View anyone would pair together. Young Thomas is a confirmed bachelor of fifty, Adelia a cheerful spinster of forty, and the two families have never been friendly.

 

Within days the story is everywhere. At the blacksmith's, the mill, the post office and even the minister's visit, Young Thomas is teased and congratulated wherever he goes. The rumour grows with every telling: a brown cashmere wedding dress, a hat with an ostrich plume, and then an actual wedding present arriving by express from a cousin in Minnesota. The trouble is, the more Valley View talks, the more Young Thomas finds himself thinking about Adelia's rosy cheeks and twinkling brown eyes.

 

This classic bedtime story for adults is perfect for winding down, easing insomnia and letting a busy mind settle into deep, restful sleep. Montgomery's warm humour, cosy village characters and Martin's calm, unhurried narration make it an ideal sleep audiobook for anyone who finds it hard to switch off at night.

 

If you enjoy L.M. Montgomery, you'll find more of her short stories on Books at Bedtime, including The Fillmore Elderberries, Jessamine, A Redeeming Sacrifice and Uncle Richard's New Year's Dinner, all from the same collection.

 

The Gossip of Valley View was first published in 1910 and is collected in Lucy Maud Montgomery Short Stories, 1909 to 1922. L.M. Montgomery (1874–1942) and this story are in the public domain.

 

Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett.

 

📱 Listen to Books at Bedtime in the Anchored app, offline and with the screen off, so you can fall asleep without a bright phone in your hand:

 

iPhone: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669

 

Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored

 

🧡 For Martin's calming tips, visit: https://calminganxiety.org/calm

 

Sleep well, my friend. And in everything, be kind.

 

 

Rate & Review: Leave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to help us reach more listeners!

 

YouTube: Watch all episodes at https://www.youtube.com/c/calminganxiety?sub_confirmation=1

 

Social Media Support: For younger listeners struggling with social media stress, visit https://www.icanhelp.net/

 

Music: All music by Chris Collins at Indie Music Box

 

Ready for More Calm?Thank you for listening to the Calming Anxiety Podcast, featuring guided meditation, mindfulness, and sleep hypnosis sessions with Martin Hewlett. Our mission is to provide you with proven tools for anxiety relief, stress reduction, and a path toward deep relaxation. Use this episode anytime you need to calm your mind and feel more at ease.